Lifting harness for landing net



Jan. 12, 1965 B. G. PUGH LIFTING HARNESS FOR LANDING NET Filed NOV. 20, 1962 29 Q2 FIG. 4 28 I INVENTOR BILLY GENE PUGH BY A ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,165,346 I LIFTING HARNESS FOR LANDING, NET Billy Gene Pugh, P.0. Box 802, Corpus Christi, Tex.

Filed Nov. 20, 1962, Ser. No. 238,983

2 Claims. (Cl. 294-'77) The present invention relates to a landing net for personnel or cargo and more specifically pertains to a harness rigging attached to or forming a part of the top portion of such a net to facilitate manipulation of the net during landing operations.

,A net structure as disclosed in my Patent 2,827,325 dated March 18, 1958, provides safe means for transferring individuals from a boat to an off shore drilling platform and for transferring personnel from such a rig to a boat and for transferring people from one boat to another and it is an object of the invention to provide a harness rigging in combination with such a net so as to maintain the net in an erect condition during a landing operation when the supporting crane is carried by a boat or when the structure on which the net is to be landed constitutes the deck of a boat. V

Another object of the invention is to provide a flexible rigging between the upper end of a landing net and the hoist cable wherein the harness rigging includes an elastic means in which energy is stored while the net and the load thereon is lifted so that when the base portion of the net is supported on the deck of a bobbing boat the energy stored in theelastic means serves to prevent the net from collapsing to thereby avoid the necessity of vigil-ant manipulation of the hoist cable during such a landing operation r A more specific object of the invention is to provide a harness forming a part of the support rigging of a landing net which includes an inelasticvand flexible element such as a cable or rope having a length which is greater than an elastic means in its undistorted condition so that the elastic means is elongated during the operation of lifting the net and its load by the inelastic elementwithoutdistorting the elastic means beyond its elastic limit whereby the energy stored in the elastic means is utilized to maintain the net in an upright position during a landing operation when the crane is carried by a bobbing boat.

Another object of the invention is to provide a support harness which comprises elongated flexible elastic means in association with flexible elongated inelastic means having a greater length than the elastic means in the undistorted state of the elastic means including structure to maintain such elastic and inelastic means in assembled relationship.

Other objects and features of the invention will be appreciated and become apparent as the present disclosure proceeds and upon consideration of the accompanying drawing taken in conjunction with the following detailed description wherein an embodiment of the invention is disclosed.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a lifting harness embodying the invention showing the elastic elements in the undistorted state.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view on a smaller scale showing the lifting harness in association with a landing net with the elastic means maintaining the net in an upright position.

FIG. 3 is a similar view showing elongation of the elastic elements with the inelastic member supporting the net and its load.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

The rigging to which the invention pertains has particular utility in combination with a landing net of the type ice disclosed in my Patent 2,827,325 which is formed of a extending throughout the base spreader ring 11 to provide a floor on which individuals or. cargo may be carried. The

' which extends over a boom 26 of a crane.

net includes a plurality of longitudinally extending ropes 14 which extend from'the upper spreader ring 10 to the base spreader ring 11. The ropes 14 are circumferentially spaced from eachother and connected to the spreader rings. Circumferentially extending ropes 16 are connected to the longitudinally extending ropes 14 at spaced intervals. The ropes 16 are omitted between. two adjacent longitudinally extending ropes 14 to provide an opening 19. Another such opening may be provided in the rope lacings. The lateral dimensions of each opening 19 when the longitudinally extending ropes 14 are taut is such as to prevent free exit of an individual from within the net. When the longitudinally extending ropes 14 are no longer taut the flexible character of the lacings is such that each opening 19 may be enlarged to permit individuals to pass therethrough and so that cargo may be loaded into and removed from the'net. r

A plurality of ropes 18 are attached to the upper spreader ring 10 or these elements 18 may form continuations of the longitudinally extending ropes 14. These cables 18 are connected to a ring shaped member 21 which forms a part of the lifting harness. The rigging or harness includes a loop shaped member 22 which is adapted to be accommodated in a hook 23 carried by a hoist cable 24 The rigging includes a flexible inelastic elongated element 27 such as a rope or cable.

safety and constitutes the primary means in lifting the A net and its cargo. The ends of the rope or cable 27 may be attached to the ring member 21 and the loop member 22 by means of clevises 28 which are secured to lugs 29 carried by the respective members. The lugs 29 may be Welded or otherwise secured to the members 21 and 22. The elongated flexible element 27 .has a fixed length and is inelastic under the loads to which it is subjected in handling and lifting the net and its cargo.

The rigging or harness includes elongated flexible elastic means and in the embodiment shown in the drawing two flexible elastic cords 31 and 32 extend from and are connected to the ring members 21 and 22. These elastic cords 31 and 32 may be of any suitable type and in the undistorted state are of substantially equal lengths and in the undistorted state are of shorter length than the rope or cable 27. The elastic elements may be formed of aircraft bongee cord and when they are elongated to the extent as permitted by the inelastic element 27 do not exceed their elastic limits.

In operation and when the crane and its hoisting cable 24 is supported by a boat which tends to rise and fall with swells or the like upward movement of the cable 24 causes the elastic means as represented by the cords 31 and 32 to be elongated and the longitudinally extending ropes 14 are tensioned. The stretching of the cords 31 and 32 continues until the slack in the rope or cable 27 is eliminated. The net and the load is then supported by the inelastic member 27. This condition of the elements is shown in FIG. 3 and energy is stored in the cords 31 and 32 and their elastic limit is not exceeded when the cable or rope 27 becomes taut to serve as the primary load carrying member. During elongation of the elastic elements 31 and 32 there is a tendency for the net and its cargo to be lifted so that the load of the assembly is not lifted with violent movement as it rises from the surfaces 36.

In lowering the net towards a fixed platform such as This inelastic element 27 is adapted to. support-the net and its load with the desired factor'of.

a drilling rig platform or a dock a condition as de- A picted in FIG. 2 is attained when the base of the net rests on the fixed surface 38. Then the load is no longer supported by the inelastic element 27. The energy stored in the elastic means 31 and 32 continues-to hold the net in an upright position with the longitudinally extending ropes 14 in a substantially taut condition. stored in the' elastic cords maintain the net in an erect condition in the event that the boat carrying the, crane should lower as a consequence of a swell'andthe elastic elements 31 and 32 continue to maintain the net in an upright condition Without thenecessity of manipulating the hoist cable 24. This same desirable result is attained when the crane and its hoisting cable 24 are supportedon a fixed base and the landing surface forms a deck of a bobbing boat In one embodiment the energy stored in the elastic: cords 31 and 32 under the condition shown in FIG. 3v amounts to about one hundred and eighty pounds,

which is suflicient to maintain the ropes 14 of thev net in upright positions.

While the invention has been shown and described in connection with particular structure for the net and one type of rigging or harness employing ropes it will be ap- The energy ing ropes substantially taut when the base spreader ring supportsthe landing net with the lifting-means lowered to a position where slack develops in the inelastic element.

2. A landing net andlifting harness rigging assembly comprising in combination, a landing net including'longitudinally extending flexiblelacings and transversely ex-' tending flexible lacings providing'a netting having an opening between two longitudinally extending lacings of limited lateral extent when the longitudinally extending lacings are substantially taut, an inextensible flexiblefelement connected to an upper portion of said net, a flexible elastic element connected to the upper portion of said preciated that various types of elastic and flexible inelastic' elements maybe employed together with other typesof net structures.

invention as set forth in the appended claims;

What'I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A landing net and lifting. harness assembly comprising in combination, a landing net including a base spreader ring and an upper spreader ring with longitudinally extending circumferentially spaced ropes connecting the upper spreader ring With the base spreader ring and circumferentially extending ropes connected to said longitudinally extending ropes providing a flexible net-, ting with said circumferentially extending'ropes omitted Such modifications and others may be 7 madewithout' departing from the spirit and scope of the between two longitudinally extending ropes to 'provide an opening of limited lateral dimensions in the netting when the longitudinal ropes are taut, a ring shaped member, means connecting said ring shaped member to said upper spreader ring, an inextensible flexible element connected to'said ring shaped member, a flexible elastic element connected to said ring shaped member, a loop shaped member connected to the free end of said inelastic element and connected to the free end of said elastic element,

netting, said elastic element in the unelongated condition being of less length than said inelastic element, 'azliftable member connected to the free end of said inelastic ele-' ment and to the free end of said elastic element, lifting means engaging said lifta'ble member for raising the liftable member and the netting and a load therein during which the elastic element is elongated to a length equal to that of the inelastic element, and the energy stored in said' elastic element during said elongationbeing suflicient-to maintain said longitudinally; extending lacings upright when the bottom of the netting'is supported with the liftable member lowered to a position where the in,- elastic element is no longer taut References Cited by the Examiner'- UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,462,234 2/49 1Supina l 244-151 2,474,124 6/49 Schultz 244 151 2,327,325 3/58' Pugh 294--77 FOREIGN PATENTS 914,471 6/46 France.

SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner; RAPHAEL, M. LUPQExaminer. 

1. A LANDING NET AND LIFTING HARNESS ASSEMBLY COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, A LANDING NET INCLUDING A BASE SPREADER RING AND AN UPPER SPREADER RING WITH LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED ROPES CONNECTING THE UPPER SPREADER RING WITH THE BASE SPREADER RING AND CIRCUMFERENTIALLY EXTENDING ROPES CONNECTED TO SAID LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING ROPES PROVIDING A FLEXIBLE NETTING WITH SAID CIRCUMFERENTIALLY EXTENDING ROPES OMITTED BETWEEN TWO LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING ROPES TO PROVIDE AN OPENING OF LIMITED LATERAL DIMENSIONS IN THE NETTING WHEN THE LONGITUDINAL ROPES ARE TAUT, A RING SHAPED MEMBER, MEANS CONNECTING SAID RING SHAPED MEMBER TO SAID UPPER SPREADER RING, AN INEXTENSIBLE FLEXIBLE ELEMENT CONNECTED TO SAID RING SHAPED MEMBER, A FLEXIBLE ELASTIC ELEMENT CONNECTED TO SAID RING SHAPED MEMBER, A LOOP SHAPED MEMBER CONNECTED TO THE FREE END OF SAID INELASTIC ELEMENT 